Delia Busby
Delia Busby was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, around 1937. Delia is portrayed by Kate Lamb. Overview Delia make her first appearence in Season 4 as a friend of Patsy. At this time she is a nurse at The London. Delia then moves in with Patsy, however and bicycle accident puts a stopper in these plans as her memory is lost and Delia must move to Wales with her family. Profession Delia is a nurse at The London Hospital and St. John's Ambulance brigade volunteer. She is also seen helping Patience Mount with the Cubs, teaching them all about burns. In Series 5, Episode 5, she mentions that she works in the male surgical ward and, in Series 5 Episode 8, she expresses interest in training as a midwife to her mother. In Series 6 she has started her midwifery training. Appearances Delia is first seen in Series 4 Episode 2, when she gets introduced to the Cubs by Patsy, and has been appearing as a recurring character throughout Series 4, 5 and 6. Relationships and Sexuality In the episode that she is first seen, she interacts with Patsy as if they have known each other for a good while, hinting at an already established relationship which might even be more than friends. Later in the episode, we see Patsy go to the nurses' home where Delia lives in the middle of the night, after she delivers a still-born baby. Delia comforts Patsy and the next day, Patsy leaves early in the morning to avoid anybody seeing her leaving Delia's room. When we next see Delia in Series 4 Episode 6, we see her holding hands with Patsy, confirming their relationship. Due to negative feelings toward homosexuality in the 1960s, Patsy and Delia were forced to keep their feelings for each other secret. This resulted in frustration, as evidenced in Episode 7 where Delia mentioned how little they actually can be together and says, "I think it would be easier to do what everyone so bloody insisted on and just get married and accept that you and I can never be." When Patsy later asks if she really wants to get married, Delia replies, "Yes. More than anything...to you, you fool! But I can't, so that is that." Patsy wants to be together with Delia, so they move into an apartment together, in the philosophy that they would be able to be together but not raise too much suspicion. They find a flat together and move in. However, their happiness is short-lived as Delia gets hit by a car, leaving her in the hospital with amnesia and no memories of Patsy. Delia's mother takes her home to Wales to convalesce, leaving a heartbroken Patsy in London. When they meet again a few months later, Delia has her memories back and has been given a spotless bill of health by her doctors. However, her mother still won't let her return to London, because she has been so poorly, as she is concerned about her welfare in the impersonal nurses' lodgings. Sister Julienne therefore invites Delia to move into Nonnatus House. This solution allows Delia to stay in London, and Patsy and Delia to still be together in secret. Later, when Patsy and Delia decide to take a holiday trip to Paris, Delia contacts her mother to ask for her birth certificate in order to apply for a passport. At tea with Patsy in attendance, Delia tells her mother about her desire to pursue midwifery. Mrs. Busby is disgusted and upset. When Patsy irritatedly reveals that Delia will not be returning to Pembrokeshire for her holiday, and instead will be traveling to Paris with Patsy, Mrs. Busby becomes uncomfortable, and hands Delia her birth certificate. It is hinted that Mrs. Busby knows of her daughter's sexuality, knowing that Patsy is much more to Delia than just a friend, and says she can "bear it if you upset me," because she's her mother. However, she cautions Delia not to "do anything that'll make your dad cry", hinting at her to remain in the closet, and be more discreet about her relationship with Patsy. Patsy and Delia's relationship is noticed by Phyllis Crane early in series 6. This proves invaluable for Delia when Patsy departs for Hong Kong to care for her dying father, as Phyllis offers her words of comfort, and a book of poems by Garcia Lorca. Delia is seen to be pining after Patsy for most of series 6, before they are reunited in the final episode, finally getting an on-screen kiss. In Series 7, it is revealed that Patsy and Delia have gone travelling together. Personality Delia can be described as feisty and cheerful, and is often wearing dresses in bright colours (especially yellow). She is also seen as easily-forgiving if she is angry and is also very caring. She seems to have the ability to calm people down when they are upset or in pain; she is seen on several occasions comforting Patsy, who is normally closed off and stoic. However she finds keeping her and Patsy's relationship a secret to be frustrating. In Series 5 Episode 5, Delia guides a woman through labour over the telephone, although she does not have any midwifery training or experience, suggesting that she is very adaptable in new situations or under pressure. Category:Characters Category:Females Category:Nurses Category:Midwives Category:Les Sages Femmes